U2 | WAR (REMASTERED DLX) | CD

U2: Bono (vocals); The Edge (guitar, lap steel, piano, background vocals); Adam Clayton (bass); Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums, percussion).
Additional personnel: Steve Wickham (electric violin); Kenny Fradley (trumpet); Cheryl Poirier, Adriana Kaegi, Taryn Hagey, Jessica Felton (background vocals).
Recorded at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland.
U2: Bono (vocals, guitar); The Edge (guitars, lap steel, piano, vocals); Adam Clayton (bass); Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums, percussion)
Additional personnel: Steve Wickham (electric violin); Kenny Fradley (trumpet); Cheryl Poirier, Adriana Kaegi, Taryn Hagey, Jessica Felton (background vocals).
Recorded at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland.
All songs written by U2.
When U2 reissued its first three full-lengths in 2008, WAR got the shortest shrift. While the album itself remains a startling blast of scabrous guitars and haunted politics, the bonus material consists mostly of superfluous dance remixes. There are a few stand-out rarities thrown in, however, such as "Angels Too Tied to the Ground," which foreshadows the band's later turn into full-blown impressionism on THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE, and "Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop)," an exuberant number that recalls the band's early days. A couple of live cuts from Belgium in 1982 round out the set.
U2: Bono (vocals); The Edge (guitar, pedal steel guitar, piano, background vocals); Adam Clayton (bass guitar); Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums, percussion).
Audio Mixer: Steve Lillywhite.
Audio Remasterers: The Edge; Arnie Acosta.
Audio Remixers: Ferry Corsten; Fran?ois Kevorkian.
Recording information: Werchter, Belgium (07/1982-05/2008); Windmill Lane Recording Studio, Dublin, Ireland (07/1982-05/2008).
Photographers: Iain Finlay; Anton Corbijn.
WAR, U2's first gold album, established them as one of the great cutting-edge bands of early '80s rock and the definitive post-punk commercial breakout. From the insularity and ruminative splendor of their studio work, U2 blossomed into a visceral live band capable of turning elegant webs of sound into in-your-face rock and roll. The Edge's innovative guitar work was now augmented by his piano playing (particularly on the hit single "New Year's Day"), while Bono's lyrics turned explicitly to politics for the first time ("Sunday Bloody Sunday").

• Format: CD
• Genre: Rock and Pop
• Genre: Rock
• Released: 07/22/2008
• Released: 7/22/2008